News of downtown's first new office building since 2006, two major redevelopment projects along Eight Mile Road, the revolving door of prospective Packard Plant owners, and new plans for a failed downtown jail project dominated real estate headlines this year.

In addition, a $55 million mixed-use development along the Detroit riverfront is planned, as is a $60 million mixed-use development in Midtown for Wayne State University.

Detroit wasn't the only place where big real estate deals were occurring, however. A landmark Southfield office complex was sold, and another is being marketed for sale. If that sale is finalized this year, it would be the largest office sale in Southeast Michigan for 2013.

Here are some of the year's top real estate stories:

Livonia-based Schostak Bros. & Co.plans a $111-million office building for Detroit-based Meridian Health Plan downtown. The proposed 320,000-square-foot development in the block bounded by Monroe, Bates and Farmer streets received approval for state brownfield tax incentives in September. It would be the first new office building downtown since construction of One Kennedy Square was completed in 2006.

Wayne County commissioners this month entered a memorandum of understanding with Dan Gilbert's RockVentures LLC to purchase the failed Wayne County Consolidated Jail site and surrounding buildings for $50 million. Rock plans a $500 million development with 1.7 million square feet of space including residential and hotel units, retail space and parking. The jail, construction on which was halted in June, went over budget. The county issued $200 million in bonds to pay for the jail in December 2010 after the county commission approved the sale of up to $300 million in bonds for the project. The final price tag was estimated to be $391 million.

Southfield-based Redico LLC and an investment group that includes Earvin "Magic" Johnson plans a $160-million mixed-use development at the former Michigan State Fairgrounds site. The Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority board of directors approved selling the 157-acre site to Magic Plus LLC for $4.65 million in October. The development is expected to include more than 1 million square feet of retail, restaurants, single and multifamily residential, senior living facilities, medical office space, a transportation hub and green space.

After two failed auction bids, a developer from Peru, Fernando Palazuelo, will purchase the 3.5 million-square-footPackard Plant for $405,000 from Wayne County. A Chicago-area developer failed to pay the $2 million he bid for the shuttered plant, and a suburban Dallas family physician also failed to pay the $6 million she bid for the site. Palazuelo made a $40,500 deposit on the property in November, and paid the balance of his bid this month.

The city of Detroit's first Meijer Inc. store opened in June as part of the $72 million Gateway Marketplace retail center. At 215,000 square feet, the Meijer is the anchor for Redico's development at Eight Mile Road and Woodward Avenue. Gateway is expected to employ about 900 full- and part-time workers, with about 400 of them at Meijer.

A 410,000-square-foot mixed-use development valued at $60 million is planned in Midtown at the corner of Cass and Canfield streets. The Wayne State University board of governors entered into a memorandum of understanding with Birmingham-based Broder & Sachse Real Estate Services Inc. to develop the 1.5-acre site. It would include 248 apartments, 19,000 square feet of retail space, a hotel with up to 120 rooms and a conference center than can accommodate 300 people. Construction is expected to begin by the first quarter of 2015.

A $55 million mixed-use development with about 500 residential units and retail space is planned along the Detroit riverfront. At Atwater and Franklin streets between the Dequindre Trail Greenway and Riopelle Street, the development is proposed by St. Louis-based McCormack Baron Salazar Development Inc. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter next year and have the first phase completed 18 months after construction begins.

A $100-million mixed-use development is planned for the former Novi Expo Center. The two-phase, 500,000-square-foot development is expected to be completed in five years. Bingham Farms-based Burton-Katzman Development Co. is the development company for the proposed Adell Towers, which is expected to consist of either two eight-story office buildings or an office building and a hotel. Retail is expected in at least one of the buildings.

New York City-based Blackstone Group LP is considering offers to buy the Southfield Town Center, the region's second-largest office complex behind only the Renaissance Center downtown. Blackstone is considering four offers ranging from $160 million to $170 million for the 2.2 million-square-foot office complex north of 10 Mile Road between M-10 and Evergreen Road. Blackstone is in default on its mortgage on the complex with $138 million owed. If it sells, it would be the largest office sale this year.

Also in Southfield,Travelers Towers I and II sold to New York City-based real estate firm Time Equities Inc. in May. According to Washington, D.C.-based real estate information service CoStar Group Inc., the complex sold for $25.1 million. More than $10 million in improvements are expected.

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